Another World
by Dawninglight2000
Summary: Rated as it is for seom strong Earth language. A highschool girl wishing for adventure suddenly finds that she has more then she bargained for. Sorry this chapter took so long, but I suffer from writer's block.
1. Disappearance and Appearance

Note: No, I don't own PODW unfortunately (*sniff*), but I do own any other character not in the series. Please don't steal them, use them, or kill them off without my permission. (Which in most cases will be NO, so don't bother asking)

"Umm... no. Sorry, mate." Emerald said. "He's not me type."

"Oh, c'mon, Em!" Laura sighed. "You need a date to this dance!"

Emerald flipped her long, wavy black hair over her shoulders. "Nope, I rather eat slugs."

Laura looked into Emerald's round green-blue eyes. "But Mickey likes you!"

"I don' wanna date a cartoon character!" Emerald snapped. "Now drop it!" She slammed her locker shut and picked up her bag. Sighing, Emerald wished she was still in Australia. At least there was adventure there. Here in America, in the boondocks, there was nothing to do! And the guys here were really....uninteresting. The most exciting thing that happened around here was the martial arts lessons her parents let her sign up for.

Laura was rattling off about another bunch of boys Emerald could go with to the dance on Friday. Emerald tuned her out. She loved Laura dearly, but the chic had a one track mind. As the pair left the school for the day, Emerald wished something exciting would happen in this boring town.

***

Bloth leered over the alchemist who was cowering at his feet. "This had better work," He warned in a dangerous voice.

Earlier, Bloth had caught Ren and his crew, but the boy had hidden the Compass and the Treasures and they weren't anywhere on the ship. So Bloth had decided to try a plan that this alchemist had come up with. It involved some 'magic' that would make the Compass and Treasures appear from where ever they were. Bloth was highly doubtful that it would work, but he had no time to be looking all over the surface of Mer for them.

"S-S-S-Sir, I assure you that it will work," squeaked the short, squat alchemist. "You'll have the Jewels in no time." He started to hurry in mixing his ingredients. "When I pour these together, they will appear before you."

Bloth gave a doubting glare. "Make sure the boy and his friends are locked up below. In separate cells," He told Mantus. Mantus nodded and went to check on them.

***

Emerald adjusted her jean shorts as she walked, then shifted her light blue tank-top. Granted, this wasn't the best outfit for jogging, but she didn't feel like changing into gym clothes. Laura was going to join her, but she had ran into her boyfriend so Emerald went alone. Tying her hair back into a ponytail, Emerald entered the park.

As she entered, Emerald was washed over with a wave of dizziness. She stopped and placed a hand on her forehead, looking at the ground. When it passed she looked up. The air was shimmering as if it was filled with heat waves.

"Huh? What the bloody 'ell?"

She let out a little 'eep!' as her feet started sinking into the ground. Emerald tried lifting one foot then the other to stay on top of the ground, but her feet acted as if they were glued. She tried yelling for help, but the passerbys ignored her-- as if she didn't even exist. A few minutes later, her head was sucked under. She closed her eyes tight and held her breath, knowing that she was about to be suffocated by cement and dirt.

But instead of what she expected, she fell. She opened her eyes with a sharp intake of breath. It was pitch black. _Oh cripes! I fell into a bloody bottomless pit!_ Emerald closed her eyes again and let out a loud shriek.

Seconds later, it felt like hours, Emerald landed hard on her behind and elbows. She groaned and shook her head, trying to clear it. Her elbows felt scraped and her tail bone hurt.

"What trickery is this?" Asked an angry voice that was tinged with surprise.

"I-I-I dont know, sir," stammered a second voice. "It appears to be a girl of some-"

"I can see that you fool!" The first voice bellowed. "Where are the Jewels?!"

_What th' 'ell are they talkin' about?_ Emerald thought. She opened her eyes and gasped in shock.

She was on a boat. In the middle of nowhere. Strange creatures surrounded her, all carrying some type of blade or weapon. They looked human, but most definitely were not. Barrels of.. something were tied down. She looked at the ship. Just what was it made of? Wood and bone? Disgusting! Emerald got up and started dusting herself off, examining her bleeding elbows. Then she faced the overlarge person threatening the short squat man.

"Oi!" She said loudly to get his attention. "But who are ya, and where am I?"

Bloth turned to look at Emerald. If she had been less proud, she would have shrunk under his gaze. He had this look about him that gave her the creeps. And that smile that was slowly coming across his face was one of pure evil. "You must excuse my... rudeness. Being a captain can make one forget when they have guests."

Emerald put her weight on one leg and crossed her arms. "And the answers to me questions as well, apparen'ly," she replied curtly.

Bloth's wheels in his head were turning. This new commer might come in handy. He decided to humor her for a moment. "I'm Bloth, and you're on my ship, _The Maelstrom_. and may I inquire on who you are?"

_I am not liking this guy... He has this coldness abou' him._ "Ya answered me second question wit' th' most obvious answer, mate," she said. "Give me th' right answer and I might decide to tell ya."

Several swords went to her throat. Emerald looked around at them and gulped almost unnoticeably. But Bloth saw the fleeting look of panic.

"Alrigh'! Alrigh'! It's Emerald. Now call your boys off or I'll kick their arses so hard they'll kiss the moon!"

Bloth laughed. "Hear that, men? She plans to fight you, with no weapon!" His men laughed as well. "However, we'll have to save that for another day. Put her into the cell, and put this kreld eater to the Constrictus!"

"Get yer filthy paws offa me!" Emerald yelled as they grabbed a hold of her arms and started dragging her below decks. She heard the short man pleading with Bloth to spare him and the scream as he was shoved down the Hole where the Constrictus lived. 


	2. Escape and a Surprise

"Get yer hands offa me, I say!" Emerald yelled as she was dragged into the dark prison of _The Maelstrom_. No matter how she struggled, she couldn't get free. "Or I'll kick yer arses so hard you'll kiss the moon!"

"Ah, shut up wench," said a short, peg-legged, pig-looking guy.

"What didja just call me?" Emerald yelled as she was thrown into the cell. "Come back 'ere, coward! How 'bout I shove that wooden stick up your arse?" A distant door slammed signaling that she was being ignored. Emerald let out a frustrated grunt and proceeded to punch and kick at the door.

A gentle thud caught Emerald's attention over the racket she was making. She spun around in defensive stance ready to clobber whoever was about to attack her.

"Whoa! Hold on! I'm a prisoner too!"

Emerald glared. "And I'm supposed t' believe anyone from this place???" She was losing it. This was just way too much at once for her to handle. 

"I'm a friend, honest," the voice said.

Emerald's vision managed to clear up in the dim light. She saw a boy with white blond hair and amazing blue eyes set at an angle. Though she couldn't tell much from lack of light, she sensed he was friendly. He didn't look like the lot that brought her down to this hellhole.

"What were ya doing hidin' like that?" She demanded. "Sneakin' up on me like that can be dangerous to yer health."

"Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't want Konk to know that there was someone in here already. I'm Ren."

"Emerald, She replied, still not letting down on her defense. "Tell me, where am I and what the bloody 'ell is goin' on?"

Ren looked puzzled for a second, both at her speech and the subject. "You seem to have encountered Bloth and he didn't take a liking to you," he suggested. "But for where we are, I can't tell. The window doesn't show much and we've been done here for a few days."

Emerald threw her hands up in the air. Another obvious answer. Were these people dimwits?? "Can ya tell me what planet I'm on? Am I on Mars?"

Ren looked even more puzzled. "Mars? No.... This is Mer."

Emerald was ready to bang her head against the door. Mer?? Where in the seven hells was that? Not in the Milky Way, that's for sure. She was about to ask another question when a woman's voice from three cells down called out.

"One of you two better hide," She warned. "Mantus is coming back down."

Ren looked at Emerald. "Mantus has the keys to the cells. If you can get him in here, we can steal the keys and get out of here."

"Leave it to me," Emerald said, knowing that being obnoxious was one of her better traits. Besides, she really wanted to get out of the cell. She watched as Ren clung to the ceiling again then turned to face the door. Emerald heard comments made to the other prisoners and the prisoners' replies. Finally he stopped at her cell.

"Oi!" Emerald said. "Lemme outta 'ere ya ugly brute!"

Mantus looked at Emerald. He could have sworn this was the cell that the son of Primus was in. He knew he should have brought a torch down with him. "Shut your trap, wench."

"Wench???" Emerald growled. "Did anyone ever tell ya you actually look like a bug? Is that why yer mother named ya after an insect?"

Mantus gave her a dangerous look. He didn't know what she was talking about, but she was about to get the beating of her life for her insolence. "Watch you're mouth, woman, or you'll wish you were never born."

"Big talk fer a lil' man," Emerald snapped back. "Got any spine ta back it up?"

Mantus drew his sword. Orders or no, no one called him a coward and lived to tell the tale. He unlocked the door and walked in, enjoying the fear he thought he saw on the girl's face as she backed into a wall.

Ren, still trying to stifle laughter, jumped down behind Mantus and took his keys. "Thanks, Mantus. I owe you one."

Mantus turned around, startled and angry that he had been tricked. Emerald took this moment to give him a good hard punch in the head. Mantus slumped to the floor. Ren raced out and started unlocking his companions' doors.

"Noijitut, Ren," Ioz grumbled as he came out. "Why is it that we always seem to attract annoying-"

"Ioz, be quiet," Tula said, helping untie Niddlar's beak. "She helped us out, and she's coming with us. Get used to it."

Niddlar let out an annoyed noise as his beak was untied, but before he could put in his two cents, Ren took charge again. "Come on, this way you guys."

Emerald, having no idea what she was doing or where she was going, followed anyway. She had no choice. It was either stay in the cell and wait for that Mantus guy to wake up, or follow Ren. They ran in silence with the exception of splashing puddles and the occasional grumble from Ioz. Finally, Emerald thought she saw a light coming out of a tunnel and a smaller looking ship at the head.

_Now this ain't right... Things are too quiet. Why haven't we been attacked yet? Surely people gotta come down 'ere and take care of this part of the ship..._

Ren came to a sudden halt and Emerald almost tripped over Niddlar. She looked around and Ren drew his sword.

"Be careful, I think they're still searching The _Wraith_." Ioz and Tula nodded and drew their weapons. "Niddlar, stay back with Emerald."

"Oi! I can take care of me self!" Emerald exclaimed, offended.

"Shh!" Niddlar said. "I really don't want attention drawn up over here."

Emerald grunted her annoyance and watched as Ren, Tula, and Ioz took out some baddies. Then Ren told Emerald and Niddlar that is was all right and they hurried aboard _The Wraith_. Emerald was still thinking that this escape was too easy. 

She was right; as they came out of the maw of the ship, she heard a loud roar.

"Ren! Dagrons!" Niddlar yelled.

"Full sail ahead, Tula! Ioz, take the helm! Nid-" 

Ren was cut off as the peg legged man jumped off a Dagron and threw Ren down as he landed on him.

"Konk will get Treasures for Bloth!" He yelled.

"Oh bloody 'ell!" Emerald growled. "I've had enough!" She strode over and picked Konk up by his shirt. As she threw him overboard, more of Bloth's men jumped onto _The Wraith_. Three pirates surrounded Emerald with swords drawn. Emerald ducked as two went for her. They injured themselves on their weapons and fell back. The third one received a good sidekick in the wrist to get the sword out of the way. He started backing off as Emerald advance and jumped overboard to avoid her. She saw Ren get up to join in the battle.

A sudden wind came and _The Wraith_ speeded away from _The Maelstrom_. The Dagrons and invading pirates disappeared. Emerald almost fell over seeing Tula glowing. As she took her hands from her temples the wind died down. Tula sat on one of the lower steps to the helm holding her head.

"Thanks Tula," Ren said gratefully. 

"Noijitut!" Ioz exclaimed. Ren turned to see what Ioz was sounding surprised about. Ioz was looking from Tula to Emerald.

"Whatcha looking at me that why fer?" Emerald growled. She was in a very bad mood.

Tula looked up, ready to scold Ioz, when she got her first good look at Emerald. She stood and walked over to her. "This is amazing..."

Emerald was looking at the lot as if they had gone stark raving mad.

"Tula, you don't have a twin do you?" Niddlar asked, equally stunned.

"Twin?" Emerald asked. "I ain't got a sister! What are you lot talkin' about?"

"You and Tula look almost exactly alike!" Ren told her.

Emerald walked over to a barrel that was holding some water and looked at her reflection, then looked at Tula. True enough, she looked almost like Tula. With the difference of the hair color and eye shape, she could easily pass as her. Frowning, Emerald washed her elbows from the dried blood and turned around. 

_What the ruddy 'ell is going on?_ She thought. _How is this possible? I'm from Earth fer cryin' out loud! _"I think it's time you lot tell me what is goin' on and how I got 'ere."

"First off, where are you from?" Ioz asked suspiciously. "Your accent doesn't sound familiar to me."

"I'm from another ruddy planet," Emerald answered, sounding tired. "I was mindin' me own business when I got sucked onto that mammoth ship. And the chap that brought me 'ere was thrown into a pit." _I'm never gonna get home again,_ She thought, the seriousness of the situation setting in.

Tula, sensing that Emerald was troubled, put her hand on Emerald's shoulder. "Perhaps you should rest a little."

Emerald nodded and followed Tula inside.


	3. Complaints, Complaints, and annoyances.

Tula walked out of the sleeping quarters, a look of confusion and worry mixing on her face. Emerald had gone straight to sleep after Tula had given the girl with the strange accent something to calm her nerves with. She had a bad feeling about all of this.

"What do you make of this, Tula?" Niddlar asked, his voice carrying his own worriment.

"I don't know. She feels different from other Mereans. I can't make her out."

"I think this whole thing is one of that kreld eater's tricks," Ioz grumbled.

Ren shook his head. "I don't believe so, Ioz. She was asking a lot of strange questions, and her accent is definitely not from around here or any other place we have been too."

While the group discussed what should be done, Emerald opened her eyes a slit to make sure that Tula was gone. She got up and started pacing when she was certain she was alone. How did she get into these messes? Where was Mer, and why was she here? Granted, she wanted a little more adventure from having to live in the States, but this was ridiculous!

_I'm stuck in the bloody Middle Ages with no TV, no phone, and no ruddy karate classes. I'm prolly gonna get some strange sickness from eating the food here or die from some disease like the plague. Just peachy keen._

After venting her frustrations out the best she could on a pillow, she took a deep breath. She needed to think and analyze the situation calmly. First, she was on an alien planet, probably thousands of light years from Earth. She could breathe the air, which was a good thing. Second, she is on crew with some chick that looked like her. How this was possible, who knew? It must have something to do with the space/time continuum getting mixed up when she 'jumped' dimensions. Thirdly, there was this fat old guy chasing this group for some stupid treasure. Peachy.

So what should she do now? She didn't know how to get back home and she didn't know how long she could survive in this accursed heat. It was hotter then Australia here. She could just live as a pirate and give up on finding a way home, but that was the cowardly way out, in her opinion. Plus, swords were not her thing. Bo's and Numchukus were and she didn't see any of those in the vicinity.

_I should ask them about this treasure business..._ she thought suddenly. _Maybe there is something in it that could take me home. After all, there is always something magical in treasures, or at least in the sci-fi books anyway._ And she felt like she was living in one. 

Just as she was going to open the door, the ship suddenly jolted to the side. Emerald fell and rolled over, crashing into the wall. "BLOODY HELL!" She yelled, rubbing her head. "If it's not on thin' it's a freakin' 'nother!" Well, there went her semi-good mood.

Emerald heard Ioz telling the monkey bird to tie some barrels down. The door opened and Ren came in; looking concerned and somewhat annoyed. "Are you all right?"

"'Am I alrigh'?'" She quoted sarcastically. "Do ya even hafta ask? I've had a hell of a ruddy day, an' now this!"

Ren helped her up. "Sorry about that, a family of leviathans bumped the ship."

"A bunch o' what?!"

Ren motioned her to follow him. She did. Blinking away the bright sunlight, she looked to where he was pointing. She saw some very large water creatures that looked like giant snakes.

"Blimey... they look like the bloody Loch ness Monster!" She breathed.

"The what?" Ren asked.

"Er... nothing," Emerald said. "Wow. Me mate back home would love this..."

The ship was bumped again. Emerald and Ren used the rail to stop them from falling over the edge. The Compass fell out of Ren's shirt and started to sprout a beam in the direction the leviathans were going. Emerald was staring at it, thinking she had finally lost her marbles. There was no _way_ a necklace could do that, could it?

"Ioz! To the west!" Ren called, looking happy. "The next treasure is over there!"

"Ren?" Niddlar asked. "That area isn't anywhere on the maps."

Caught up in the excitement, Emerald looked at t he monkey bird. "'Ere, where's yer sense of adventure?"

Niddlar sighed. "I got a bad feeling about this..." He grumbled to himself.

_Hell, this can't be too bad,_ Emerald thought._ I mean, the least I can do is help these guys out. Can' be that bad, if it means some fun other then goin' ta school._

****

"Ya want me ta stick that thing on me face??!!!" Emerald exclaimed. "I've seen Alien, I don't want that thing ta kill me or still me brain or somethin'!"

Tula had gathered several amphecytes out of the water. They needed to go in the under water for the next treasure apparently and they wanted her to put some freaky looking animal on her face! No way, she'd just hold her breath, thank you.

"Then stay on the ship," Growled Ioz. He was starting to get fed up with this over-talkative stranger.

"Hell no!" Emerald shot back. "I can hold me breath."

"Noijitut!" Ioz swore. "Ren, just give her back to Bloth so we can be rid of this annoying kreld eater!

"Why you chauvinistic jack ass!" Emerald growled. She herself had had enough of Ioz and his anti-feminist views. "'Ow about I take that sword of yers and shove it up yer arse?! Maybe yer be a lil' more pleasant!"

Tula had a smirk on her face. But before she could say anything, Ren thrust the amphecyte into Emerald's hand. "Emerald, just put it on, it's not going to kill you." He put his amphecyte on and dove into the water. Niddlar made a face before putting his one and joining Ren. Ioz followed after giving a scathing glance to Emerald and Tula. 

Tula winked at Emerald. "I have to say, the only other person that can get under his skin like that is me. Maybe we are sisters." She put her air mask on and dove in.

Emerald sighed. "Well, guess I better try this..." Hesitantly, she put it over her face. It stuck to the back of her head like suction cups. "This is so gross..." She said to herself. But she could breath, so that was a plus, and she wasn't getting attacked with acid. Finally, she dove into the water.

The water was cold. It was dim under the water too. Sounds from the now distant leviathans echoed throughout the water. Below her, she spotted Tula's pink leggings. Well, at least her clothes were bright enough so Emerald could follow. As she traveled down, Emerald wondered if the laws of water pressure applied on Mer. They had too; this planet had gravity.

Finally, Tula turned into a cave. Emerald followed and joined the others on the rocky beach inside the cave. She pulled her air mask off with some difficulty. Damn thing was suctioned to her head and hair.

The group followed the dark cave, which was only illuminated by the beam from the Compass. A little uneasy, Emerald kept looking over her shoulder. She felt like she was in NYC in the middle of the night and walking the streets. The rest of the group was silent as well, with the occasional rumble from Niddlar's stomach.

Eventually, Tula stopped. "Did you guy hear that?"

"No," Ioz said.

Ren shook his head as Niddlar shrugged.

Emerald nodded. "Sounded like a dolphin." The four of her companions looked at her strange. "It's an Earth sea creature." She explained. "They make that noise 'bove the water. Friendly-like, they are."

"What would one be doing here?" Ren asked.

"Beats me, mate," Emerald said. "But it might not be either. Could jus' be just a trick o' the waves."

"No use standing here and musing about it," Niddlar said. "Let's go back."

Ren started forward and Niddlar squawked in protest. Emerald tied her hair back. The wet strands were beginning to annoy her. Not to mention the darkness was beginning to feel more and more like a heavy blanket over her face. She hated the dark.

Suddenly two lamp-like eyes peered out at them. Niddlar flapped his wings and screeched in surprise, knocking into Ioz. Ren and Tula drew their weapons. But as soon as they were ready to fight the eyes disappeared. 


End file.
